Giving Tuesday: How Employers Can Make a Meaningful Impact

Alice Wright, GoodPAYE

This year, Giving Tuesday falls on 2nd December 2025. That’s the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a global day dedicated to giving back, supporting good causes and making generosity go viral ( the perfect antidote to the season of spending).

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as a simple yet powerful idea: to create a global day of generosity that balances out the spending frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It was launched in New York and has since snowballed into a worldwide movement spanning over 90 countries.

Each year, millions of people come together on the first Giving Tuesday to support the causes they care about most – whether that’s donating to charity, volunteering their time or performing a random act of kindness.

The beauty of Giving Tuesday is its inclusivity. There are no rules, no minimum donations and no barriers to entry. It’s open to all, from individuals to schools, communities to employers. Everyone unites around the shared belief that generosity has the power to change the world.

And it works. Every year, billions are raised globally in just 24 hours and millions more acts of kindness ripple through workplaces, homes and communities.

We like to think of it as the world’s biggest group project for good. It reminds us that giving isn’t just about money, it’s about connection, compassion and collective impact.

Why does Giving Tuesday exist?

Giving Tuesday was born from the idea that small acts of kindness can snowball into something extraordinary when people come together with a shared purpose.

Because generosity is contagious… and research proves it.

Studies show that people are significantly more likely to give when they see others doing the same. This “social proof” effect turns generosity into a chain reaction: one donation inspires another, one story sparks dozens more. That’s why global movements like Giving Tuesday work so well. They create a sense of community around giving, making generosity feel joyful and relevant to everyone.

It also fills an important gap in the calendar. After the spending rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday flips the script. It invites people to give back rather than stock up. It’s a collective pause to reflect on what really matters, just as the festive season begins.

But the real magic of Giving Tuesday is its lasting impact.

The buzz it generates often inspires people and businesses to keep giving throughout the year, not just for one day. Employers who use it as a launchpad for Payroll Giving Schemes or volunteering initiatives, often see that engagement continue well into the new year.

At its heart, Giving Tuesday exists to remind us that generosity doesn’t have to wait until New Year’s resolutions or company-wide campaigns. Whether it’s a quick donation through Payroll or sharing a charity’s story on LinkedIn, every small act of kindness adds up to something bigger.

5 Ways employers can make the most of Giving Tuesday

For employers, Giving Tuesday is a golden opportunity to bring your people together around a shared purpose.

Here are a few ways to get involved…

1. Launch (or relaunch) Payroll Giving

If you’ve been meaning to set up Payroll Giving, Giving Tuesday is your perfect cue.

It’s a simple, tax-free way for employees to donate straight from their pay that costs your organisation nothing to run.

By promoting Payroll Giving on Giving Tuesday, you can capture the energy of a global generosity movement and turn it into something lasting. Even a small uptake can have a big impact over time, as regular donations provide charities with the steady income stream they rely on.

Plus, if you’re working with GoodPAYE, we’ll handle all the setup, communications and engagement support. So you can focus on celebrating the good your team is doing (and maybe take a little credit for the brilliant idea).

2. Match donations

Few things inspire giving like knowing your generosity will go twice as far.

By matching staff donations made through Payroll Giving or one-off campaigns, you instantly double the impact and show employees that their values are your values too.

Whether you match up to a set amount or pledge to support a specific cause that aligns with your CSR goals, donation matching sends a powerful message: we’re all in this together.

And it’s not just good for morale, it’s great for your ESG story too.

3. Make it social

Giving Tuesday thrives on community spirit and social media plays a huge role in that.

Encourage employees to share who they’re supporting and why using the hashtag #GivingTuesday. You could even create your own company hashtag to track and celebrate participation.
Internally, spotlight employee stories in newsletters, Slack channels or town halls. Hearing colleagues talk about causes they care about creates genuine connection and might just inspire others to join in.

Don’t underestimate the ripple effect.

A few heartfelt posts can raise awareness for great causes and show your wider network that your organisation walks the talk when it comes to social impact.

4. Host a fundraising challenge

Giving Tuesday is a brilliant excuse to add a little fun to your fundraising.

Run a bake-off, fancy dress day, quiz or team challenge (anything that gets people laughing, moving and donating).

For remote or hybrid teams, think virtual step challenges, online raffles or digital donation leaderboards. The more creative, the better, as people are far more likely to join in when there’s a bit of friendly competition involved.

And remember: these light-hearted activities often generate more buzz than formal campaigns. A bit of fun can go a long way in building camaraderie and raising money for charity.

5. Showcase your impact

Once the day is over, don’t let all that good work fade into the background.

Share the results of your Giving Tuesday activity, from total donations raised and volunteer hours logged, through to inspiring stories from your team.

Use your website, LinkedIn or internal channels to shout about the difference your organisation has made. It’s authentic, meaningful content that showcases your commitment to doing business for good.

You could even submit your results for a Payroll Giving Quality Mark Award, recognising your commitment to employee giving and social impact (we can help with that too).

Michael Duncan, Head of Giving Strategy & Programmes at NatWest Group, said:

“Giving Tuesday is such an integral part of the charity work that NatWest Group does and we are excited to once again be involved at the forefront. Over the past two and a half years, the charity sector has faced unprecedented difficulties like so many people and businesses across the world. Giving Tuesday provides a great opportunity to say thank you for all the work charities have done during this very difficult period.“

How to raise funds on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday has a simple goal: get as many people as possible doing something good, in whatever way works for them.

Whether you’ve got five employees or five thousand, there are endless ways to raise funds and have fun doing it.

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Run a 24-hour fundraising drive

Create a sense of urgency (and excitement) by challenging your team to raise as much as possible in just one day. Set up a live totaliser or leaderboard so everyone can see the progress in real time (it’s amazing how competitive people become when the clock’s ticking).

Choose one or two charities that align with your company values and make it easy for employees to donate through Payroll Giving or a company fundraising page.

Encourage ‘coffee break giving’

Ask employees to donate the cost of their morning coffee, lunch or after-work drink to charity. It’s small change individually, but collectively it adds up fast. This is an easy, relatable way to get everyone involved without pressure.

You can even share a few fun stats throughout the day: “We’ve turned 73 lattes into £219 for good causes!”

Host a team challenge

Get creative with a team activity that brings people together while raising money. Think bake sales, raffles, quizzes, step-count challenges, or even a mini office Olympics. For hybrid or remote teams, try virtual fundraising ideas like online bingo, digital scavenger hunts or quiz nights over Teams or Zoom.

The key is to make it light-hearted and inclusive so everyone should feel part of it.

Go digital with donation-matching leaderboards

If you really want to supercharge engagement, add a bit of friendly competition with a live leaderboard showing team or department totals. Throw in a prize for the top fundraisers or departments and watch the donations roll in.

If your organisation can match employee contributions, even better. You can double your impact and show that the business is backing its people’s generosity.

Make giving visible

Throughout the day, share updates, photos and stories of your team’s efforts on your intranet or social channels using the #GivingTuesday hashtag. Not only does it build momentum internally, but it also helps your company showcase its social impact externally — a great look for your brand and your culture.

Remember, Giving Tuesday is less about how much you raise and more about how many people you inspire to take part. Even small sums can make a big difference when everyone chips in together.

How to donate on Giving Tuesday

The beauty of Giving Tuesday is that anyone can take part. Whether you’ve got a tenner to spare or just a few minutes to share a charity story online, every act of generosity counts. But when it comes to donating money, Payroll Giving is hands-down the easiest, most efficient way to do it — especially for employees.

With Payroll Giving, donations come straight out of your gross pay before tax, which means it costs you less while charities receive more. There’s no form-filling, no Gift Aid claim to worry about, and once you’ve set it up, it runs automatically each month.

Here’s how it works:

• A £10 donation costs a basic-rate taxpayer just £8, but the charity still gets the full £10.

• Higher-rate taxpayers save even more, making a bigger impact for the same out-of-pocket cost.

• You can support any UK-registered charity, or even split your donation between multiple causes. That could be animal shelters, mental health organisations, local food banks… whatever matters most to you.

Multiply that across your workforce and suddenly your organisation is generating thousands in social value every year, often without anyone feeling the pinch. 

That’s the power of Payroll Giving.

Of course, employees can also donate directly via charity websites, fundraising pages or Giving Tuesday campaigns. But Payroll Giving offers something those one-off donations don’t: sustainability. It turns generosity into a habit, not a holiday.

And for employers, it’s a brilliant way to show long-term commitment to social impact. With GoodPAYE, you also get full visibility of donations, monthly insights and ready-made engagement materials to keep the momentum going. You’re not solely reliant on Giving Tuesday, but can raise funds all year round without breaking a sweat.

Ready to make it happen?

Pop the 2nd December in your diary, spread the word and make this Giving Tuesday your most impactful yet. The difference you start in a single day could last all year.